Sonic Miracles
by The Fangking
Summary: A story derived from my fangame of the same name, Sonic Miracles. It tells the story of Wechnia and its attempt to destroy all life...
1. Chapter 1: Creation

Chapter 1: Creation  
  
On an unknown island, far to the north of Mobius, things were stirring. The island itself was filled with towering mountains and dense forest. Within this forest was a cave, and inside this cave was the ringing sound of maniacal laughter. For deep inside this fissure was a well concealed laboratory. Dr. Robotnik was absorbed in his work, as was always the case with his greatest experiments, and this by far was his ultimate design...  
  
The scientist was very large and round, with short stubby legs and arms. In ways, his body resembled an egg, with its proportions. He had little neck, and had a tall, cone shaped head, his facial features accentuated with a broad, ginger moustache and a red nose. His eyes were like black holes, swallowing all the dim light of the room, aside from the red pupils. These eyes were filled with signs of madness and trauma. Few would realise that this man had an IQ of three hundred, and was once one of Mobius' most renowned scientists. That was before the explosion in the lab...  
  
Dr. Robotnik had also been Mobius' dictator, after the explosion changed everything about him. The years of his rule had been foul and unhappy for the residents of the planet, as he tried to fulfil his grand design; to turn all of the inhabitants into mindless robotic slaves... but he had not counted on Sonic the Hedgehog.  
  
Having lost power of Mobius, he attempted many times to reclaim it, but again was foiled by Sonic, and finally gave up. From that moment on, he desired nothing more than the destruction of the entire planet, and tried a few seemingly unstoppable plots, one involving him receiving godlike powers, and another where the Chaos creature was unleashed by his assistant Grimer. Yet again, Sonic stopped Robotnik (or in the case of Chaos, by Super Sonic, Sonic's evil, yet incredibly powerful, alter ego). Following this, Robotnik was sealed away in a mental asylum, far from the grandeur he had experienced only years ago. But his old supporters freed him, in yet another bid to destroy Mobius, using the creature Shadow...  
  
Robotnik once more found himself in failure and fled to this unknown island, where in secret he began his latest project. He was now little more than a drooling madman, yet he still had the skills and knowledge that had always come naturally to him. The latest creation was truly his most deadly yet, though it was smaller than many of his others. Robotnik knew that the design was a good one, but it was not a robot... This amazing mind knew how to create even artificial life. Had it not been turned to the ways of evil, then it could have been used to greatly benefit Mobius. Now, it was far too late... Robotnik was beyond aid.  
  
The new incarnation's body was glowing white, with a red patch on its forehead. Its eyes were dark blue with red phosphorescence around them. Around its neck it bore a red collar. Also it wore red gloves tipped with two spikes. It had yellow socks and white sneakers with a red buckle. Its spikes were long dreadlocks. It was in the shape of an echidna, and bore a great resemblance to one of Robotnik's adversaries; Knuckles the Echidna. Knuckles had once aided him while being duped. The gullible, yet strong willed echidna was under the impression that Sonic was the bad guy after his Chaos Emeralds, when in fact it was Robotnik who fitted the description. When Knuckles realised, he and the scientist became bitter foes instantly, and teamed up with Sonic to finish the Death Egg, one of Robotnik's greatest weapons.  
  
This new creature had been dubbed Wechnia by its creator. After all, in appearance it was a white echidna. However, it was far more than that...  
  
It was almost time to awaken Wechnia to the world. Robotnik had modified its prowess to the extreme. It had an incredible power that could mean the end of Mobius...  
  
After the final tests showed as positive, the scientist forced a strange liquid into its mouth. After long months of preparation, Wechnia lived. It spat out the fluid, which promptly ate away a small patch of the steel floor.  
  
"What's this?" gasped the doctor. "You're supposed to drink that! It was never a corrosive substance! How can..."  
  
"Dr. Robotnik..." said Wechnia in a harsh, cold, echoing voice.  
  
"How do you know my name already? What is this?"  
  
"I am supreme... I am greater than anything that has ever existed upon this pathetic world... I thank you for giving me my powers..."  
  
"Incredible... this thing... what have I created?"  
  
"I was speaking... allow me to continue... I was about to say, you have outlived your use... I know what it is you desire, and I am only willing to comply, but I do not need you to complete this mission..."  
  
"What?"  
  
Wechnia jumped up, revealing that the part of the metal bench that it had been laid upon had turned into dust. A monitor in the room began to flash, showing a fault. Wechnia's powers had been fully awakened.  
  
The echidna removed a glove and laid his hand on Robotnik, initiating a white flash. Once the glow died down, Robotnik was stood there no longer. In his place was a tall, thin man, with the same ginger moustache, and now a long tuft of hair. Dr. Ovi Kintobor was back.  
  
~* * * *~  
  
Meanwhile, on South Island, the residents of Emerald Hill Zone were blissfully unaware of the events far north. Sonic the Hedgehog was tearing through the land, moving at the speed of sound, and barely touching the grass. He was bored and out for a thrill. Without anything to fight for anymore, the days dragged on for him. In a way, he sort of wished he hadn't defeated Dr. Robotnik, though doing so had made life so much better for the people of Mobius. Still, he loved to race across the land.  
  
Sonic was a blue hedgehog, obviously not something that is normal. He had shiny blue spikes that flowed in the wind. He always wore white gloves and red sneakers with a white stripe on them. He had a glint in his green eyes as was always the case as he ran. The "Blue Bomber's" legs were a blur due to the incredible pace.  
  
His blue colouring was due to a lab accident years ago. He was working with Kintobor in the scientist's old lab, testing out new power sneakers. As Sonic accelerated so much, it caused the kinetic gyroscope to explode, forcing the change. Sonic was altered in no other way aside from the new colour and retained his cocky attitude.  
  
Only a day later, Kintobor had the accident that changed him into Robotnik. In time, Sonic learned it was the fault of his future self, who made sure that Robotnik existed in order to destroy the Metallix, but that's a different story.  
  
Sonic, despite his arrogant nature, was loyal to his friends and through all the dangers they had faced together, he did his best to make sure nobody was hurt. However, he never realised the full extent of those risks until Johnny Lightfoot, his rabbit friend, was killed by the Chaos creature, an event that nearly broke the Freedom Fighters apart for good.  
  
Still, in the end, it brought them all closer together, and Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Porker Lewis and Tekno the Canary, sometimes aided by Shortfuse the Cybernik, the Chaotix Crew, Ebony the Cat and others, were still as unified as ever. Though their services were no longer required so much, the Freedom Fighters continued to watch the Zones of Mobius.  
  
The planet was split into various continents, and these continents were split into Zones. Following one of Robotnik's schemes, Mobius became fused with Shanazar and various new Zones appeared. Sonic had mainly always patrolled South Island and Westside Island, the places where Robotnik's evil influences had affected most.  
  
After an hour of solid running, Sonic returned to the base in the Emerald Hill Zone. Tails was waiting for him, with a nervous look on his face. Tails was a fox, with a strange feature; a second bushy tail which allowed him to fly. It was because of this that people called him Tails. His real name was Miles Prower.  
  
"Sonic!" called Tails. "Something's wrong with the Kintobor computer!"  
  
"What?" cried Sonic.  
  
He rushed upstairs, where Tekno and Porker were trying their best to fix the problem. Tekno was a canary with green feathers, gold earrings. She always wore a red and black striped jumper and a blue skirt. Porker was a pig who was clothed in a t-shirt, a black leather jacket and blue jeans. The two of them were real technical whizzes, but this problem had eluded them. It was Porker who had made the Kintobor computer in the first place. After Kintobor's accident, his brain patterns had somehow become imprinted on a Mobius Ring. Porker found a way to put this on a system, and the computer had become one of Sonic's greatest aides in the fight against Robotnik.  
  
Sonic looked at the screens around the room to see nothing but static. The central column where the hologram of Kintobor used to be located was empty.  
  
"Welcome back Sonic..." sighed Tekno, as her fingers raced around the keyboard. "Sorry, but Kintobor's on the blink. It happened just half an hour ago..."  
  
"We're trying our best to fix it," said Porker, "but everything else is malfunctioning too."  
  
"I wonder what's going on..." said Sonic.  
  
"Before everything crashed, I noticed an odd reading on the Mobius Map. Far north, in the Shallow Sea. Some sort of red disturbance appeared on the screen, and spread before the whole system went haywire," explained Porker.  
  
"Any clue what it was?" asked Sonic.  
  
"None at all."  
  
"Robotnik must be behind this, no doubt about it."  
  
"I don't know. After all, the effect spread from the middle of the ocean, and how would he be able to do anything there?"  
  
"Robotnik can do a lot of things, Lewis. We've seen that much."  
  
"What caused the error is irrelevant right now, Sonic," said Tekno. "What's important now is that we fix it."  
  
"I say it does matter, Tekno," said Sonic. "If Robotnik's back again, Mobius could be in danger, and without our scanners, we don't know what could happen without us knowing." Sonic paused for a moment. "I wonder if the same thing's happened around the whole of the planet..."  
  
With those words, he rushed out of the headquarters, and hit the road again. Sonic was heading in the direction of Metropolis City, the capital of South Island, once the home to Robotnik's citadel. The dust on the road kicked up and swirled behind him as he charged down the path. As he was leaving Emerald Hill Zone, he had no idea that someone perched atop one of the cliffs was watching him...  
  
~* * * *~  
  
"Wha... what's going on? Wh... where am I?"  
  
Back on the unknown island, Kintobor was dazed and confused. After all, he hadn't existed in this form for the last few years. His mind was a mess.  
  
"You are Kintobor I presume..." droned Wechnia. "You have no memory of your life as Robotnik, do you...?"  
  
Wechnia knew everything. It truly was an incredible creature.  
  
"Yes, that's me. Who are you? H... how do you know me? Who's Robotnik?"  
  
"I know everything... Very well, I had better explain things to you, not that there's much point... Mobius is going to die..."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"May I explain what has happened first...?" said the creature coldly.  
  
"Y... yes, of course..."  
  
"The last thing you remember is the accident... the explosion of the machine containing the Chaos Emeralds somehow caused you to become your opposite, your negative... Robotnik... You became evil and took control of the world, until Sonic the Hedgehog defeated you... and time and time again, Sonic has foiled your plans..." said Wechnia, without knowing how he knew, having not been around then. Kintobor was rapt, and the mysterious creature continued. "You became a madman, and after more failures, you created me... You had no idea what I would be capable of... I used my powers to reverse the effect of the explosion and return you to your normal form... That is what I do... Whoever I touch becomes their opposite..."  
  
"So now what happens? Where am I?"  
  
"You are on an island without a name... It has never been found and bestowed with a title... As for your other question... I am about to destroy the world..."  
  
"You can't! How can you?"  
  
"I can't help it... Even if I wanted to stop it, the death of Mobius is at hand... if you were to leave this cave, you will find that the plant life around the area is dying... My mere presence is destroying the ecosystem... However, I don't want to stop it, and I am keen to spread the effect... Goodbye, my creator..."  
  
Wechnia began to float in the air, and then if flew out of the lab. Kintobor followed him. When he reached the cave mouth, he let out a gasp.  
  
As the creature had said, all of the plants and trees were wilting, dying... Ovi Kintobor knew that Wechnia had to be stopped, somehow... someway... but he didn't even know how he would be able to leave the island.  
  
Dr. Robotnik knew what he was doing, he thought to himself, this must be the end of Mobius. 


	2. Chapter 2: Storm at the Hill

Chapter 2: Storm at the Hill  
  
Metropolis City was full of towering, high-tech looking buildings. It was the pinnacle of development in the world, but unlike our own planet, the Mobians have kept the spread of such cities as limited as possible, leaving Mobius as a green planet with a healthy environment. As Sonic ran into the dusty streets, two hours after leaving Emerald Hill, he saw that the Metropolis Police Force were on alert.  
  
"Hey dudes, what's going on?" asked the hedgehog.  
  
"Every computer in the city is malfunctioning," said one of the officers. "Without them, we're in major trouble."  
  
"So... it's not just Emerald Hill then."  
  
Sonic continued to sprint on the highway, avoiding the cars, for a moment, and then thought to turn back. He should see if Tekno and Porker had fixed the Kintobor computer.  
  
In half an hour, he was passing through the Jade Hill Zone, when clouds gathered and a harsh storm began. Thunder crashed as lightning illuminated the ever darkening skies. Rain flowed down in thick sheets.  
  
"Huh? I can't believe how quickly this bad weather just started... unbelievable."  
  
Sonic detoured into the shelter of the Jade Hill caverns, but before entering, he saw a curious shape stood on the peak of one of the hills. He couldn't make out quite who... or what... it was due to the darkness. The downpour strengthened and visibility was almost lost. The ground was turning to flowing mud which would make running difficult. He then took refuge inside the hill.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Sonic!"  
  
"Eh?" Sonic looked around to see a grey furred old dog sat on one of the rocks.  
  
"I'm Greylan. I'm a traveller to these parts. I know all about you, of course."  
  
"Naturally! Who doesn't?" said Sonic.  
  
They chatted for about an hour about Sonic's past battles as the heavy rain crashed upon the grass. Greylan was very interested in Sonic's accounts. They then turned the conversation to the weather.  
  
"This storm, it's crazy, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, it just came outta nowhere. I can't run in these conditions."  
  
"It's not normal... weather around South Island is never this bad. Never."  
  
"True, I've never seen anything like it before. I really could do without it. Anyway, what're you doing around these parts?"  
  
"Well," started Greylan, "I come from Westside Island. You've been there a few times, I hear. I lived around Aquatic Ruin with my family. Robotnik didn't bother us so much, though he did place badniks around the Zone. After you toppled Robotnik from power, I decided to come here, perhaps even meet you for myself. I'm glad to have this chance now."  
  
"Heh, you're just one of many, Grey."  
  
"I'm sure... still, I waited for a while before leaving my home. My family didn't want me to leave... that was until I told my parents how stifling they were... I wanted adventure. They then let me go, and told me not to come back."  
  
"Dude..." said Sonic. "Still, they sound like boring losers anyway. Trust me Grey, there's nothing like taking to the outdoors and going on the move."  
  
"I agree. I've never enjoyed myself as much as I have since I started travelling around Mobius."  
  
"Yeah. Well, it's been great and all that, but this weather just ain't changing and I need to move. I saw something earlier on top of the hill. I wanna find out what it was, if it's still there."  
  
"Ah. Well, it has been a great honour, Sonic. I hope we meet again."  
  
"See ya bud!"  
  
Sonic tore out of the cave and up the chequered red and yellow hill. The rain showed no sign of relenting as it pelted his eyes. Sure enough, the figure was still where it was before, only there was now another. They seemed to be fighting. As Sonic drew closer, he could just about make out their forms... one looked like an echidna and the other like... him!  
  
Sonic then noticed something odd about the rocky hill. The stone appeared to be crumbling into dust. When he reached the top of the rise, he found that the grass was dying, turning sort of grey...  
  
The two forms were indeed as he had thought; a hedgehog and an echidna. The hedgehog was green, with black markings on his forehead. He wore the same style of sneakers as Sonic did, and apart from colour, looked just like him. As for the echidna, he was pure white except for the red markings on his head. He had glowing red eyes, white sneakers with red buckles, and red gloves. He seemed to exude a strange aura. The green hedgehog was losing the battle, despite his skill in the air. The echidna was just too strong physically.  
  
The white echidna caught sight of Sonic, and his eyes widened.  
  
"Well, hedgehog, another of your kin is here to save you... I see it is Sonic... I however have far more important things to do," said the echidna in his strange, hoarse, echoing voice, and it then flew away.  
  
Sonic ran over to the green hedgehog, still watching the echidna that was disappearing in the pouring rain.  
  
"I never knew echidnas could fly!" said Sonic.  
  
"They can't..." spluttered the green hedgehog, a trickle of blood running out of the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Then why...?"  
  
"That isn't a real echidna. It is artificial life..."  
  
"What are you talking about, bud?"  
  
"That creature is deadly," breathed the hedgehog. "Have you noticed? Jade Hill is dying... look at the grass. It has some sort of power that causes death around it."  
  
Sonic knelt down and pulled a clump of grass from the muddy soil. The blades were pale and grey, and crumbled into nothingness as he clenched his fist.  
  
"I bet I know who made this thing," spat Sonic bitterly.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Robotnik. How many other evil geniuses can you think of that could engineer a life form to kill us all?"  
  
"None at all, Sonic." The green hedgehog got to his feet and brushed some of the mud from his arms and torso. His gloves were stained with it. "I'm Ashura the hedgehog. I've been looking for you for a while."  
  
"What do you want with me?"  
  
"Well," said Ashura, "I have something that may interest you. Let's not talk here. This weather isn't helpful."  
  
Suddenly, a rumble of earth sounded in the gale, and the ground they stood on began to subside. The hill was beginning to fall in on itself!  
  
"There's somebody down in the caves! He's in danger!" shouted Sonic, immediately running down the side of the hill, heading to the cave mouth.  
  
The entrance had been sealed by a rock fall. Red and yellow stones bricked up the entire fissure, blocking Greylan's escape... could he still be alive?  
  
"Greylan!" called Sonic at the top of his voice. Ashura joined him.  
  
"It's too late for him, Sonic. He's most likely dead."  
  
"I made it my mission to protect everyone on Mobius! I have to try and get him out!"  
  
Sonic curled up in a ball and launched himself at the pile of rock, smashing them apart. "Come on Ashura, help me out here!" he yelled. Ashura also tried the spin attack against the mounds that had once made up the hill. It took many long minutes, and Sonic was beginning to lose all hope for Greylan. Once they had dug through the heaps of stone, they found the dog laying motionless on the floor, blood sliding down his blank face. He was clearly dead.  
  
"No!" cried Sonic. "No! No..."  
  
"It's not your fault Sonic," Ashura reassured him. "You can't stop the course of nature. It was a landslide."  
  
"But it wasn't natural, was it?" Sonic shouted. "That... thing caused this!"  
  
"It's not like one of Robotnik's machines! The cave collapsed on itself!"  
  
Sonic shook his head. "I should have got him out when I left. I should have known that the cave wasn't safe."  
  
"How would you have known? Don't be stupid Sonic. We had better leave before it happens again."  
  
"His family... they won't get to know..."  
  
"Sonic! Snap out of it!"  
  
Ashura leapt out of the disaster area. Sonic took another look at the lifeless form of Greylan, and then followed the green hedgehog. The bad weather still continued to vent its rage upon Jade Hill as they moved as two blurs in the direction of Emerald Hill.  
  
~* * * *~  
  
When they arrived back at the base, they found Tekno and Porker had given up on trying to fix the Kintobor computer. Instead, they were gazing out of the window as the storm headed in the direction of the Zone. The usually blue skies of Emerald Hill were clouding over and the land grew dark. It wasn't the peaceful calm of darkness that the night usually brought on. Thunder could be heard in the distance. Sonic introduced Ashura to Tekno, Porker and Tails, and then asked for the progress report.  
  
"The Kintobor computer won't reboot, and all backup systems are down," said Tekno. "There's nothing we can do just yet. We may have to reconstruct the computer from scratch and port the data onto the new one."  
  
"Well, that's a bummer," muttered Sonic. "Kintobor could tell us what's going on. Anyway, what was it you wanted to show me, Ashura?"  
  
"Days ago, I broke into Robotnik's old fortress in the mountains," said Ashura. "I wanted to see what I could find, and what I did find was very interesting.  
  
"Grimer was in there, burning some papers. He told me that Robotnik had fled, and he was destroying Robotnik's old plans just in case he should try to return and reuse them. I saw one that caught my interest, but it was already smoking in the fire. All that was left was the picture, and a tiny bit of text."  
  
Ashura then pulled something out of his sock and unrolled it. On this piece of charred paper was an image of the same echidna creature that he and Sonic had seen up at Jade Hill. Ashura continued. "All it says now is 'negative.' Any idea what that may mean?"  
  
"Not really," said Sonic. "So, Robotnik either had a copy of this plan, or the creature had already been made."  
  
"I think the first option is more likely. Grimer would have known if it had been created already. I don't know if you already know this, but Grimer despises Robotnik now."  
  
"Yeah, we know. We were there when that little worm decided to quit."  
  
"Ah, okay. Well, I'm sure he'd have told me about it if it had already been made, since he's keen to stop Robotnik now."  
  
"Don't bet on it..."  
  
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that the creature is alive, and somehow it caused the plant life around Jade Hill to just die."  
  
"How do we stop it? Any idea from the plans?"  
  
"Not really. All we have is the picture, and the word."  
  
"Well, should we find Grimer and see what he knows?"  
  
"You have a quick mind as well as feet, Sonic. That's what I was going to suggest."  
  
"Heh, everything about me is speed!"  
  
Just then, the rain began to pound against the thick glass roof of the base, and a door slammed downstairs. Footsteps could be heard coming up, and then framed in the doorway was a pink hedgehog with long spikes. She wore a white t-shirt and green trousers. Her name was Amy Rose.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Amy," laughed Ashura.  
  
"Ashura!" gasped Amy.  
  
"You know each other?" said Sonic.  
  
"Well, of course! She's my sister!" announced Ashura.  
  
"What?" said Sonic in astonishment.  
  
"She never came back to Station Square when she moved here. She never even wrote to tell us she'd shacked up with you!"  
  
"She is NOT my girlfriend!" yelled Sonic, who had gone a bright shade of red.  
  
Ashura grinned. "Whatever you say," he said.  
  
"It's true, Ashura," said Amy, smiling too. "I used to try hard to make him fall in love with me, but I always failed..." she trailed off, a dreamy look in her brown eyes.  
  
"So, you're a city hog," said Sonic to Ashura, desperate to change the subject. Station Square was a huge city Zone in the continent across the Charter Sea known as Mongor.  
  
"Yeah, that's right," said Ashura. "I came to South Island and went to the Southern Mountains when I heard what had happened with Chaos. I heard Amy had been involved, but I never knew that she'd been a Freedom Fighter all this time."  
  
"Well, I knew what our parents would say if I told you..." Amy mumbled.  
  
~* * * *~  
  
In the meantime, above the clouds, Wechnia was about to expand upon his plans. He knew where he had to go and was nearing his destination. His speed in flight was quite astounding. Already, he could see a strange rise in the distance; Mount Thunder, the highest mountain on the Floating Island... 


	3. Chapter 3: Fall of the Island

Chapter 3: Fall of the Island  
  
Wechnia was close to the island now. What only moments ago had been a speck on the murky horizon was now a huge form in the sky. It was a pleasant island in appearance, with lush forests, green plains, crystal-clear rivers and huge, snow capped mountains. How the island was kept in the air without falling to Mobius was a mystery to many, but the secret was quite simple. Upon this island were seven legendary gems; the Chaos Emerald. The unimaginable powers contained in these ancient gems, primarily the Master Emerald, kept the Floating Island aloft.  
  
Thousands of years ago, an alien species known as the Drakon empire came to Mobius. They had created an unstable energy source known as Chaos. Then a way was found to contain and control the energy. It was siphoned into the emeralds found in the sacred mines of the echidna race.  
  
It is a complicated story that led to the end of the echidna race. The echidnas stole the Chaos Emeralds back from the Drakons, summoned Sonic from the future, who learned that his friend Knuckles had existed all these millennia ago. Then, by pure accident, one of the Drakon Prosecutors became fused with Chaos energy and was morphed into the being known as Chaos. Sonic had to be transported back to the future when Chaos was about to kill him, and then the Great War broke out. Details are sketchy, but whatever happened, it resulted in the loss of the echidnas. They were either wiped out, or left Mobius of their own accord. Only three now remain; Dr. Zachary (a rogue echidna who worked with Robotnik), Tikal (the daughter of Pochacamac, the leader of the ancient race) and of course Knuckles, the guardian of the Floating Island and the Chaos Emeralds.  
  
How those three came to exist in the present is unknown. Well, Tikal was sealed with Chaos in the Master Emerald for an unimaginable length of time, and was then transported to the present, in an unhinged state of mind. Chaos' fear effect had driven her mad, and Ebony the Cat had to erase her memory in order to make her sane again. As for Zachary and Knuckles, there is no knowledge of how they were brought to this time as even they do not know. Currently, Zachary's whereabouts are unknown, but Knuckles and Tikal are on the Floating Island, guarding the Chaos Emeralds together.  
  
In the Emerald Chamber, Knuckles was observing the radar (as the Island was so high up, possessed a protective field, and also, the machines in the Chamber were ancient technology, they had been isolated from the strange pulse that had caused everything else to malfunction). Knuckles was red, with long dreadlocked spikes. He wore white, spiked gloves that could dig into many surfaces. His socks were yellow, and his boots were red with a green buckle. Knuckles' silhouette was very similar to Wechnia's.  
  
He had noticed an anomaly on the screen; something unidentifiable was approaching the Island at rapid velocity.  
  
"Tikal!" called the red echidna. Tikal quickly ran over. She was a lighter red than Knuckles, but had similar hair. She bore a golden band around her forehead with a sapphire encrusted in the centre, and a necklace with another jewel. Her dress was green, decorated with red and white diamond shaped patterns. She wore bindings around her feet. Her gloves, unlike Knuckles', were not tipped with spikes, but she wore golden bracelets. Her regal appearance was only fitting for the chief's daughter. Thanks to her memory being erased, Knuckles was still no closer to solving the mystery of his people.  
  
"What is it, Knuckles?" she said.  
  
"What do you make of this?"  
  
"Oh my gosh! It's coming to the Island! I've never seen something so fast..."  
  
"Heh, don't say that to Sonic!"  
  
However, she was right. Whatever was advancing to the Island was incredibly swift. It was already on the brink of the aerial landmass.  
  
"No worries!" said Knuckles confidently. "The Island's force field will protect us from it! There's no way it can reach us."  
  
"Uh, are you sure?"  
  
The shape had broken right through the barrier and was heading to the mountain range, under which the Hidden Palace and the Emerald Chamber were hidden.  
  
"Whatever it is," growled Knuckles, "I bet Robotnik's behind it." He pressed a key on the console that sounded an alarm. "Guard robots! Into position!"  
  
Multiple robots with large yellow heads and black bodies with long arms marched into the Chamber and stationed themselves around each possible entrance. Unfortunately, Knuckles had no idea what the current threat was capable of...  
  
He returned to his radar to find it malfunctioning. The screen was overloaded with static.  
  
"No!" he cried, bashing his fist on the console. "I need this computer!"  
  
There was a sudden crash behind him. He wheeled around to see his guardian robots sprawled on the floor.  
  
"This effect is like the electromagnetic pulse that wiped out all of Robotnik's machines..." he said, "only that couldn't harm my ancient technology... this is really strange."  
  
"What're we going to do, Knuckles?" said a terrified Tikal.  
  
"We're gonna stand and fight, whatever this thing is. It's my life to protect the Chaos Emeralds."  
  
He looked over to the column of light in which floated the Emeralds. The largest one, the green Master Emerald, was in the middle of the others. Each Emerald had its own unique colour. Only recently had they been returned here. After Chaos came to the Island, Knuckles had been forced to eject them, and the entire isle then fell into the ocean below and sank without trace. Finally, the Emeralds were reclaimed and returned to their rightful place, and Knuckles' home again rose above the clouds. The echidna had protected the gems as long as he could remember, since the memory of his life in the past had escaped him.  
  
"The alarm should be sounding," said Knuckles. "That must have been knocked out too."  
  
"You needn't have an alarm for little me..." a harsh voice spoke from the main entrance. "I'm not that dangerous..."  
  
The air in the Chamber became as still as death the moment that Wechnia entered. The deadly creature had an empty grin etched onto his cold face as it edged towards Knuckles. The stone in the room seemed to be turning rather grey, and the air was becoming quite dusty.  
  
"Who the heck are you?" demanded Knuckles. Normally he'd be excited to see a new echidna, but he knew that this was no normal creature.  
  
"Haha... Well Knuckles, I am Wechnia..."  
  
"What are you?"  
  
"That isn't very polite... I am artificial life created for one purpose... The destruction of Mobius is my goal... I expect you know why I am here..."  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
"I want the Chaos Emeralds... They can amplify my powers and quicken the pace of the planet's demise..."  
  
"And you think I'd let you just take them? You've got another thing coming!"  
  
"No, I didn't think that... I know everything, Knuckles... I know your weaknesses..."  
  
"I have no weaknesses, creep!" Knuckles leapt up and charged at Wechnia, raising a fist. He was about to deliver the blow when Wechnia rolled away and reappeared behind the overaggressive echidna. The white echidna instead dealt the punch, sending Knuckles sprawling across the stone floor.  
  
"Your first weakness is your overconfidence..." murmured Wechnia. "Your second is your inability to counter speedier opponents..."  
  
"You've gotta be kidding me..." groaned Knuckles as he climbed to his feet.  
  
Knuckles dug quickly into the floor, which seemed to be very dusty and less solid than usual. He burrowed until he was directly below Wechnia and rapidly resurfaced with a rising uppercut, but his opponent was gone. Knuckles quickly scanned the room, but saw no sign of Wechnia.  
  
Suddenly, he was knocked down. Wechnia had been hiding on the ceiling and had just drilled down and into him.  
  
"I really do not have time for this, Knuckles... As much as I would love to stay and continue our battle, I have a planet to destroy..."  
  
"NO!"  
  
Tikal leapt out from where she had been hiding. She was carrying her ancient staff, which was sparking. She shot a purple beam at Wechnia, but she missed as the creature leapt over it. He pushed her over, but was then brought to the ground himself by a furious Knuckles.  
  
"So, it takes two of you to cause me a tiny bit of damage..." Wechnia said. Where Knuckles' fist has crashed into him, Wechnia's face seemed to be dented. In seconds, it was fully healed.  
  
Wechnia pounded the floor, which triggered an avalanche in the Chamber. Nimbly dodging the huge rocks that plunged to the ground, he made his way to the column of light, his red eyes fixed on the Emeralds. Knuckles jumped to his feet and rushed at his foe, who was expecting it already. Wechnia held out a balled fist that Knuckles just ran into before being able to react. The creature now took the Emeralds from their rightful place, and they began to float around him. The entire island shook.  
  
The exits were all now sealed with crumbling rock. Wechnia looked up, then launched himself into the air, ripping apart the stone in front, allowing him to make his own exit. At his command, the seven emeralds followed him. In seconds, he had broken through the mountain and could see the stormy skies again. Just then, he began to plummet to the dying fields directly below him. Knuckles had escaped the Emerald Chamber via the Zoom Tube system and had found the exit near where Wechnia had come out of the mountain, simply by luck. Tikal was not far behind, and she jumped out of the exit, and landed smoothly on the plains. As Wechnia and Knuckles impacted the ground, she prepared to stop the Emeralds from doing the same, catching them with some kind of magic. She muttered some words in the ancient tongue and the Emeralds disappeared.  
  
"No... it cannot be..." gasped Wechnia. All of that work had come to nought.  
  
"I have destroyed the Emeralds, you vile creature," said Tikal. "You can no longer use them in your evil plot."  
  
"Destroyed them...?" said Wechnia, almost laughing. "Of course you haven't... You've merely transported them to various locations around Mobius..."  
  
"How... no, I did what I said."  
  
"You cannot lie to Wechnia... I know all..."  
  
The evil one took flight again, no doubt to hunt the Emeralds down. Tikal pulled Knuckles out of the crater that had been made when he and Wechnia had fallen into the ground.  
  
"Look at the grass," she said. "It's dying..."  
  
"You're right," said Knuckles. "It must be what that creature does."  
  
He had a poignant expression on his face. He had failed his ancestors again. The Emeralds had been removed from the Floating Island, which was now beginning to fall to Mobius' surface. The decent was slow due to the Emerald power still contained in the Island.  
  
"Don't worry," Tikal told him. "We should get down to Mobius and warn people what is about to happen."  
  
"I just realised, we don't know where the Island is going to crash!"  
  
Knuckles ran in the direction of the Marble Garden Zone which was close to the edge of the island. He needed to know where his home was going to land, for he was going to return here with the Emeralds once Wechnia was defeated... he hoped.  
  
Once he and Tikal reached the edge, they looked below.  
  
"Some kind of high-tech city..." said Tikal.  
  
"Ultimatropolis..."  
  
Upon this entire continent had been built this great city. Ultimatropolis was perhaps the only place that was more advanced than the Metropolis Zone. Despite the incredible development here, the atmosphere was still amazingly unpolluted and clean.  
  
Unfortunately, it would be the last place Knuckles would want his Island to fall upon. There were thousands of people probably directly below who would be crushed by the landing.  
  
Tikal knew what to do. She raised her staff again, and called out a chant. She and Knuckles were instantly warped to the city below. There was some state of panic already. Citizens were dashing away from the area, desperate to get away from the doom that was impending. Police were on the streets, issuing warnings on megaphones.  
  
"Well," sighed Knuckles with relief, "I guess the police are sorting out the problem."  
  
The Island was starting to increase the velocity of its decent. Clearly the Chaos Energy had almost been drained out of the soil and stone.  
  
"There's not much time, Tikal! Run!"  
  
And run they did. In mere moments, the Island hammered down upon the tall structures of the city. The damage was in fact very limited. Somehow, the Emerald forces had cushioned the blow and it had now come to rest between four large buildings, acting as pillars to support it. Small chips of stone and cement fell from the buildings, but that was all...  
  
"Unbelievable!" breathed Knuckles.  
  
However, they were now about 18,000 miles from where they needed to be – South Island. He voiced this to Tikal, who just winked and did the spell to transport them there. The torrential rain that had been up at Ultimatropolis and over the Angelas Ocean was here too...  
  
"You're good at that," said Knuckles with a wry smile.  
  
"I know!" said Tikal. "I've used that spell a lot. Come on, where is it we need to be?"  
  
"Emerald Hill Zone. By the looks of it, we're near it. I think this is the Jade Hill Zone. I've been here before. Wow, I wonder what happened here..."  
  
The entire collection of hills and mountains had come down on itself, leaving piles of red and yellow rubble. Only few hills remained, and they looked to be collapsing on themselves as well. The foliage around them was wilting. Already, Knuckles realised that Wechnia must have been here.  
  
"Come on, I want to speak with Sonic."  
  
"Sonic? I've heard that name before..." 


	4. Chapter 4: The Emerald Chase

Chapter 4: The Emerald Chase  
  
It was deep in the night when the two echidnas reached the base. The homes of the Emerald Hill Folk, who had once lived with Knuckles on the Floating Island, were still lit up even at this time. Either they had lost all sense of time due to the dark veil of the storm, or they were just plain restless. In fact, neither Tikal nor Knuckles could tell whether it was night or day.  
  
The door to the Freedom Fighters' base of operations was unlocked, so they both entered.  
  
"Who's there? Knuckles!"  
  
Tails was in one of the downstairs rooms drinking cocoa when he rushed out to greet the guests.  
  
"Hey Tails," said Knuckles. "Sonic around?"  
  
"Upstairs!" chirped Tails. "There's been some kinda problem with another crazy echidna..."  
  
"What do you mean, 'another'?"  
  
"Umm... well, Dr. Zachary was one wasn't he?"  
  
Knuckles just snorted, and ran upstairs, followed by Tikal. When Sonic saw Knuckles, he let out a little groan.  
  
"Red! Just when I don't need you."  
  
"Sonic, this isn't the time for arguing," said Tikal. Sonic hadn't noticed her until now.  
  
"Hey, Tikal! What gives?"  
  
"You know me?" she said.  
  
"Don't worry Sonic. She had her memory erased. She won't remember you," explained Knuckles.  
  
"I've met the hedgehog before?" asked Tikal.  
  
"Yeah. We've met a couple of times," said Sonic. "Once in the ancient past and again on the Floating Island when we brought it back to the surface. I don't think much of that matters now. I have something else to worry about."  
  
"What might that be Sonic? Wouldn't be Wechnia, would it?" said Knuckles with a frown.  
  
"You've seen it!"  
  
"Yeah. Wasn't much of a meeting, more of a battle... it tried to take the Chaos Emeralds."  
  
"Don't tell me it got them!" Ashura had come over. He and Amy had been catching up on recent events, but he just caught Knuckles' words and had to know.  
  
"Who're you?" inquired Knuckles.  
  
"Knuckles, this is Ashura the Hedgehog," said Sonic. "He's Amy's brother. It was him who found the plans for Wech. Pity they don't tell us much..."  
  
"Oh, okay. Anyway, it almost got the Emeralds, but thanks to Tikal and her spells, we stopped it. She transported them away from the Floating Island."  
  
"Great, so the Island's sunk again..." muttered Sonic.  
  
"No," said Knuckles impatiently. "It landed in Ultimatropolis. Somehow it came to rest between some buildings and it didn't cause any damage," he added, seeing Sonic's look of horror.  
  
"Oh. So where'd the Emeralds go to?"  
  
"Well, that's just the point. I don't really know."  
  
"Nor I," said Tikal.  
  
"Great... just great..." said Sonic bitterly. "It's Chaos all over again. Wech's gonna find them wherever they are while we sit around waiting."  
  
"Well, that's why we came to you," Knuckles explained. "We've got to find them."  
  
"Oh. I thought you'd come wanting glory for helping fight that Wech."  
  
"Sonic! How many times have I told you that you're not the only hero on Mobius?" Knuckles said angrily. Knuckles and Sonic often were at each other's throats, no matter what the situation.  
  
"Oh, stop it you two!" cried Tikal. "We have to find those Emeralds before Wechnia does."  
  
"Yeah, you're right Tikal... there's no telling what that creature could do if he has those. We have to find the Chaos Emeralds, now!" said Ashura.  
  
"Hey, I make the decisions around here!" said Sonic.  
  
"Then what do you decide, Sonic?" asked Ashura with a false air of politeness.  
  
"Uh... Let's find the Emeralds!"  
  
Ashura shook his head, and Knuckles just glowered. However heroic Sonic was, he couldn't help being completely and utterly egotistical. It had always been the case, and had often led him into trouble. His cocky attitude tended to inflate to the maximum when he was working with Knuckles. He competed for the glory and often ended up in trouble by running headfirst into it while the echidna found a sensible solution for the problem.  
  
"Alright then, it's decided," announced Ashura. "We're gonna find the Emeralds." He gathered everybody around in a circle, aside from Tekno, who was trying to rebuild the computers, and Porker, who had gone to bed. "I think we should split into pairs. Amy, you'll come with me. Tails, you go with Tikal, and that leaves..."  
  
"... me and Sonic," continued Knuckles, frowning again.  
  
Sonic groaned. "Why do I always have to work with Red? Why?"  
  
"Hey, we know you work well together," said Tails, smiling.  
  
"Yeah," said Amy. "You always get through everything!"  
  
"But Red always slows me down!" said an exasperated Sonic.  
  
"If it wasn't for me all those times, you'd be dead, Sonic," Knuckles snarled.  
  
"Maybe it's not such a good idea after all..." mumbled Ashura. "Tails, you go with Sonic. Knuckles, you and Tikal work together instead. I guess she knows you best anyway."  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Sonic went over to his best friend. Knuckles just glared at him for a moment, then stood beside Tikal.  
  
"Okay," said Ashura. We need to have a plan. We don't want to all go to the same place, and we need to know what to do in the case of emergency, and how we're gonna track down the Emeralds."  
  
"We can use those scanners you have to find them," said Knuckles.  
  
"No we can't," said Tails. "All our computerised systems are dead.  
  
"Oh, yeah..."  
  
"Anyway," continued Ashura, "we'll have to rely on our own senses of direction..."  
  
"We should be okay," said Knuckles. "I'm used to this sort of thing, and Tikal seems to have a sixth sense for finding the Emeralds."  
  
"I've done this before too," Sonic said, with a quick grin at Knuckles.  
  
"Hopefully, my knowledge of Mongor will help us. That's where Amy and I will go. Sonic, Tails, you two search South Island. Knuckles and Tikal, could you both go to Downunda? I hear that that continent used to belong to the echidna race, and that the ruins of Old Megopolis are still there."  
  
"We'll go there, okay," said Knuckles. Tikal couldn't hide her nerves and let out a soft moan. Knuckles put a comforting arm around her.  
  
"Now, in the possible event of Wechnia showing up, we need to know what to do. If he comes for us, I'll run away as fast as I can go. Sonic, you ought to do the same. Don't waste time fighting him; he's far too powerful. Knuckles, Tikal, just do whatever it was you did last time. Right, I think we should all be back here by the weekend. If you find a Chaos Emerald, bring it back here immediately."  
  
There was a moment of silence in the room, apart from the pounding of rain on the roof.  
  
Sonic was stirring. "Well," said Sonic. "Can't stand around all day! Let's go!" As the famous blur, Sonic rushed out of the base in a flash, into the raging storm outside.  
  
"Hey! Wait for me Sonic!" called Tails, feebly running after him. As well as being brash, Sonic was highly impatient and hated nothing more than just standing around idly.  
  
"Well, what're we all waiting for? Let's make a move!" Ashura declared. The Freedom Fighters all nodded, and made their way out of the building. The race for the Chaos Emeralds had begun...  
  
~* * * *~  
  
It was the third day. Sonic and Tails had searched the entire east side of the island and found nothing. They were trudging around the streets of Metropolis City looking for any traces of an Emerald's presence in the Zone. So far, they had been unsuccessful. By now, dawn should be breaking, but the thick cloud cover blocked the sun's light. The streets were littered with deepening puddles, the raindrops bouncing violently off the surface. Sonic was cold and wanted to move quicker, but he'd stand no chance of finding Emeralds that way. Tails looked tired and miserable. Sonic on the other hand wasn't tired at all, though he seldom slept since the death of Johnny Lightfoot. It was thanks to Amy that he didn't leave the Freedom Fighters forever... she had helped him through the weeks that followed.  
  
Sonic was snapped out of his daydream by a sudden roar in the distance. It sounded very loud, but still not very close. Whatever it was, it wasn't thunder.  
  
"Did you hear that?" he asked Tails.  
  
"Hard not to," the fox replied. "What was it?"  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
Just then, through a hole in a wall of a derelict home, he saw some kind of red glow... maybe...  
  
"Tails, I think there's an Emerald over there!" Sonic's heart leapt. He was getting very bored.  
  
Tails looked at where Sonic had been looking just a second ago. "Yeah, I think you're right!"  
  
They ran over to the abandoned building. It certainly seemed to fit with the gloomy setting; it looked old and ruined, as though it had been attacked by mindless vandals over and over again. It was clearly ready for demolition.  
  
"You wait here and watch out for anything. That Wechnia could be waiting to attack. Shout me if you need me, okay?"  
  
With that, Sonic slid inside. The room reeked of mould. The dusty wooden floors creaked under his light feet, and the windows were plastered with grime, as though they hadn't been washed in years. Some of the walls had collapsed, and doors ripped from their frames. There was, however, no doubt about it. One of the Chaos Emeralds was here. He could see its shape in the next room. It was the red emerald. He walked carefully over to it just in case the weak floorboards should give way. He clasped his hands around it and felt a sudden vigour in himself.  
  
"Very good, hedgehog. Now, just hand that beautiful gem over."  
  
Sonic felt hot breath against his spikes, and something else... A gun was pointing straight at his head. Slowly he turned around to a purple furred weasel with a large protruding tooth and a long, pointed tail. He wore brown and white boots, a brown leather belt, a wide brimmed hat and brown gloves. In one of those gloved hands was a pistol. The criminal's name was Nack the Weasel, a creature loathed by everyone due to his cruel nature. He would do anything for money. Like many others, he sought the Chaos Emerald, but for their monetary value rather than their unlimited powers.  
  
"I told you to hand it over," Nack snarled.  
  
"What've you done with Tails?" Sonic asked shakily.  
  
"He's fine, just knocked out. Now, don't make me repeat myself," threatened the weasel, waving the gun dangerously.  
  
The blue one had no choice. Reluctantly, he held out the jewel, which was promptly snatched by Nack, who started to laugh. Sonic caught the words "easy" and "pathetic".  
  
"How did you know I was here?" Sonic spat.  
  
"I have my sources. They spotted you coming into the city and reported to me. I've been hiding out in the centre of town. Interestingly enough, that's the only place where the cops don't look for me.  
  
"Earlier this week, an associate of mine told me that the Chaos Emeralds had left the Floating Island again, and showed me the one she had found. I expected you or that echidna to start looking for them, and thought you could lead me to finding some of the others..."  
  
"She?"  
  
"Yeah, it was Rouge the Bat. I believe you know her." Nack laughed again. "Anyway, I have what I came for. You'll excuse me."  
  
Nack backed out of the room, still pointing the pistol at Sonic, and then darted off into the street. Sonic quickly stood up and rushed outside to find tails slumped on the wet ground, his fur sodden with the water.  
  
"Tails..."  
  
Sonic lifted up his friend, and put him into the building for shelter. He, Sonic the Hedgehog, had a Chaos Emerald to recover.  
  
In the background, he saw the weasel climbing onto a huge black motorbike and starting the engine. Now he knew what that roar had been minutes earlier as another sounded out, quashing the roll of thunder that should have been heard. Nack accelerated and took to the highway. Sonic readied himself and chased after him. The bike was fast, but Sonic was faster and soon caught up.  
  
"You again!" bellowed the thief over the holler made by his engine. "Don't you ever give up?"  
  
"Not really," said Sonic with a grin.  
  
Nack groped around for his pistol and seized it. He fired a bullet at Sonic who dodged it. Nack had a great aim, but that wasn't enough in this hedgehog's league. The weasel shot at Sonic a couple more times, and missed completely.  
  
"Is that all you got?" jeered Sonic.  
  
"GAH!" Nack slotted the pistol into his holster and grabbed a machine gun situated at the side of his vehicle. He responded to Sonic's question with a volley of lead, leaving bullet holes in the buildings in the street. Sonic had to duck low to avoid this new threat. Nack used up five rounds or so in an attempt to hit his target, who used a series of swift aerial manoeuvres to dodge, and catch the projectiles. Supersonic speed was clearly an advantage.  
  
Nack was almost cleared out of ammo. He reloaded and continued the relentless onslaught, but to no avail. Sonic was too fast. His supply had been depleted. Now it was simply a matter of skill to evade the hedgehog's pursuit.  
  
"Run out of bullets, huh?" shouted Sonic. "Then it's my turn!"  
  
He jumped up, curled into a ball and launched himself at the motorbike. This was the patented homing attack. Sonic crashed into the rear wheel and was thrown upwards by the rotary force. Nack stepped on the gas and increased speed even more. Burning jets emerged from the rear of the bike, propelling it forwards at immense speed, almost breaking the speed of sound! Sonic was becoming hard pressed to catch up again. Nack abruptly swerved round the corner into a narrow alleyway. He was a highly skilled rider. Sonic nearly missed the turn, but didn't lose much ground. His face was screwed up in concentration. He tried another homing attack, but landed just behind his enemy's means of transport. Nack laughed.  
  
"Can't keep up?" he taunted. "I'm disappointed, hedgehog!"  
  
Sonic's feet were moving so fast they created the illusion of some kind of revolving wheel of red and white streaks. His determination to retrieve the treasure at the helm of Nack's bike outweighed his exhaustion at keeping this speed going for so long. The ground behind him was smoking with the burning pace. Buildings whizzed past, blurs in Sonic's eyes, which were being peppered with large raindrops. The storm seemed to be getting worse...  
  
He thought of what might happen if he failed to get the Emerald back... Knuckles' disappointment... everybody's... he remembered Greylan's lifeless face back at Jade Hill, and Johnny's death all that time ago... the dying lands of Mobius... he pictured what might happen if it continued... the trust that all of the Mobians had once placed in him evaporating as their world fell apart...  
  
That horrible imagining did it. Sonic began to run faster than he had ever moved before. He could no longer hear the roar of Nack's bike, nor the rush of the wind. He was surrounded by some kind of blue flame. The distance between him and the weasel became ever slimmer. Nack's attempts to lose him by taking sharp turns were useless. His own feet no longer seemed to be under his control, and finally he was there, level with his enemy. Sonic somersaulted onto the back of the bike, and grabbed a hold of Nack. In a fluid movement, he threw Nack from his seat, swiped up the Emerald and dived from the vehicle a fraction of a second before it collided with a wall, showering the street with flames.  
  
Sonic's knees gave way. He had never actually moved faster than sound before, but now he had... His legs felt rubbery following the excessive boost. After a moment's rest, he regained some stability and was able to stand. He looked at the prize in his hands; the red Emerald. In true Sonic fashion, he grinned, feeling elated from the victory.  
  
He strode over to the limp form of Nack, who was unconscious, knocked cold by the force of being thrown from the bike.  
  
"That's payback for hurting Tails!" proclaimed Sonic. "Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it!"  
  
He turned away from the scene as the flames began to vanish, extinguished by the brutal rain. He went to find Tails so they could get out of there.  
  
When he returned to the place where he had left his friend, He found Tails already awake, massaging his head.  
  
"Sonic!" cried the two tailed fox. "I'm so sorry!"  
  
"You've nothing to be sorry for, my friend. I got the Emerald back easy enough." Sonic went on to explain the full story of his encounter with Nack. Afterwards, he remembered what the weasel had told him... Rouge the Bat had one of the Emeralds. She would have to be found before Wechnia reached her.  
  
"Come on Tails," said Sonic. "Let's get outta here..."  
  
They walked away from the city, heading back to Emerald Hill, hoping that the other groups had found at least something. Wechnia had really disrupted their lives with his prowess. Sonic found himself wondering where the creature may be at that moment, hoping that he hadn't gone after any of his friends. He couldn't help but feel something was wrong... what about when the storm began to strengthen even further... what if...?  
  
No, he told himself, I mustn't think like that. We'll stop him, no matter what it takes! 


	5. Chapter 5: Familiar Faces

Chapter 5: Familiar Faces  
  
By nightfall that day (or what should have been, it was difficult to tell with the storm raging violently overhead), Sonic and Tails were back in Emerald Hill. Unlike some of the Zones, it still remained green, but flooding was taking place. The valleys were becoming waterlogged, and mudslides occurred frequently. The bad weather had something to do with Wechnia's appearance, but Sonic couldn't put his finger on it...  
  
They reached the base once again. It looked gloomy in the darkness, sort of uninviting, something Sonic had never thought of before. They entered to find Amy in the downstairs room. Sonic guessed that she and Ashura had been successful.  
  
"Sonic!" she cried. "There's something you really should know."  
  
"It'll wait, Amy. Where's Ashura?" said the blue hedgehog.  
  
"Upstairs, but..."  
  
"Thanks Amy!" Sonic tore up the stairs, and into the main room. He opened his mouth in shock.  
  
Standing with Ashura was a tall man with a broad moustache and a long branch of hair sticking out from his otherwise bald head.  
  
Dr. Kintobor had come home.  
  
Also with him was a black hedgehog with red markings on his spikes, arms and legs. This was Shadow, who should be dead... Sonic thought he must be dreaming.  
  
"Doctor...?" he spluttered. It had been years since he had seen his old friend... he couldn't believe it.  
  
"I understand that it's been a long time, Sonic," said Kintobor. "That's what Mr. Lewis tells me," he added, indicating Porker.  
  
"I can't believe this! What are you? A robot?" accused Sonic.  
  
"No, I'm for real, Sonic. Apparently, I had taken the form of ... what was it... Dr. Robotnik for years, and the change has finally been reversed."  
  
"What happened to you?"  
  
"I was touched by a creature called Wechnia. Supposedly, I created it..."  
  
"So, it was Robotnik... I was right... as usual."  
  
"Yes, anyway, his own creation turned on him and rearranged his genetic structure into its opposite form, bringing me back into existence. He told me that all this time, I've been a mad scientist, hell-bent on world domination, who encountered one major obstacle over the years. That hindrance was you, Sonic. I can't tell you how proud I am of you, my friend! You're a real hero from what Wechnia told me."  
  
"Wechnia told you all this?" said Sonic. "How does..."  
  
"That creature knows everything, somehow," explained Kintobor. "It really is fascinating. I found the plans for it on the island I was on. It isn't a normal creature of flesh and blood. It is some kind of virus, built of data streams, incorporated into physical form in a way I don't understand. Dr. Robotnik, though evil, was definitely very intelligent.  
  
"The virus is built with the ability to corrupt anything, make it 'negative', its opposite, so to speak. That is the effect it has upon those it touches with its hands.  
  
"It is also able to cause death in plant life around it. This is due to a strange chaotic radiation it gives off, similar to that of the negative Chaos Emerald forces."  
  
"So, that's how it all works," concluded Sonic. "So, I'm guessing it touched you to change you back."  
  
"That's correct."  
  
"So, how did you get here? Why is Shadow with you?" Sonic's previous experience with Shadow hadn't been the most joyful occasion.  
  
"Who does this hedgehog think he is? He should be thanking me!" said Shadow.  
  
"You don't remember me either?"  
  
"Sonic! Please! I'll tell you the full story, just give me some time.  
  
"I was stuck on this island. It's a small island, and nobody knows about it. I've never seen it on maps. That is irrelevant though. Like I say, I was trapped there with no means of leaving it. Wechnia had flown away, leaving me stranded. So, I had a look around the place. I found the design plans of Wechnia, which explained what I told you just now, and later, in the heart of Robotnik's lab, I found this hedgehog. For a split second, I actually thought it was you...  
  
"I released him from the capsule he was contained in. He told me that his name was Shadow, but he knew little else. I later researched 'Shadow' in Robotnik's files, and found that the one I had here was a clone of the original. The papers told of Shadow's ability; Chaos Control, the power to distort time and space, warp anywhere in a split second, stop time, et cetera.  
  
"For a moment, I thought my escape from the unknown island was at hand, but I went on to learn that it could not be used without a Chaos Emerald. My hopes were dashed.  
  
"Later, some terrible storm began. I figured that this was Wechnia's effect, having read the plans. Still, I tried to get some rest. The next day, I awoke very late. Shadow told me it was almost noon, but it was still dark when I went outside... then I saw a glitter in the trees. I went to investigate. To my joy and ecstasy, it was a Chaos Emerald. It looked different from how I used to remember them, and it was a colour I didn't recall from when I used to have them, a grey hue. However, I gave it to Shadow and asked him if he could transport me to South Island, and that he did. I made sure to bring Wechnia's plans of course."  
  
Kintobor pulled the scroll out of his labcoat's pocket and laid it on the desk, then continued with his story. "I came to Emerald Hill and learned of your base from the locals. Of course, this place is new to me. I found it successfully, as you can see. I arrived two days ago. Porker Lewis told me about your current mission, so we both waited, that is, Shadow and I, until you returned. Which leads me to my question; were you successful?"  
  
"you bet!" replied Sonic, promptly revealing the shiny red Emerald in his hand. Ashura breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Well done, Sonic!" said Kintobor, beaming.  
  
"It was a breeze," lied Sonic.  
  
"It wasn't as easy for me and Amy," Ashura said. "Wechnia came for us. Lucky for us that I now how to use Chaos Control as well. Pity I had to race for the Emerald first... Wech sure is fast." Ashura showed Sonic the yellow Chaos Emerald.  
  
Sonic remembered his own chase with Nack, thinking that all in all he'd had very little to deal with, considering the virus' immense power that Ashura would have had to deal with. Still, Ashura had made it out of battle unscathed.  
  
"Nice one, Ash!" said Sonic, grinning again.  
  
"I'm sure that you'd have thought of it as a breeze," said Ashura smoothly.  
  
"Not at all!"  
  
"So," interjected Kintobor, taking out his own grey jewel, "we have three emeralds already. Quite a good start."  
  
"Yeah," said Sonic. "I just wish one of them was the Master Emerald. We really don't want Wechnia to get hold of that one."  
  
"Master Emerald?" said Kintobor in confusion.  
  
"The Chaos Emeralds had somehow become split into two groups, the group of six that we had, and the group of six that belonged to Knuckles. He guards the Chaos Emeralds on the Floating Island," Sonic added, seeing Kintobor's blank expression.  
  
"I do believe Porker mentioned the name, but I am behind on times."  
  
"Right, where was I? Robotnik accidentally got our six Emeralds to Knuckles, meaning to take them for himself. Knuckles revealed the seventh Emerald, the grey 'Control' Emerald that was used to unify the other twelve into six. Over time, they grew into their full sizes, and the Green Emerald became pretty big. That's the Master Emerald, and it's the most powerful."  
  
"Very interesting... all those years ago, I thought the floating island was nothing more than a legend.," said Kintobor. Porker laughed, remembering his and Johnny Lightfoot's conversation with Amy... it seemed So long ago now...  
  
"By the way, Doc," said Sonic, "it's great to have you back."  
  
"Thanks very much, Sonic, old friend."  
  
There was stillness in the room. It had all been said now. All that could be heard was the constant beat of rain. Sonic now wondered what had happened to Knuckles and Tikal.  
  
~* * * *~  
  
In the continent of Downunda, the last search party were scouring the ruins of Old Megopolis, which hung around the gargantuan crater which had once been the site of the Floating Island. Knuckles had never known about this place, and it was very interesting for him. There were murals all around, some depicting the guardian robots, which seemed odd to him...  
  
Sonic had never fully told him about his foray into the past. Knuckles had little idea that he had been part of the echidna race thousands of years ago, or of the war that in the end led to the disappearance of the species from Mobius. Knuckles knew nothing of the origins of Chaos or the Chaos Emeralds, or that those guard robots had been designed for that war, all of this that Sonic knew.  
  
Knuckles and Tikal had so far found nothing, but Tikal knew there was something in this ancient city. As Knuckles had said days earlier, she almost had an extra sense for hunting them down. So, there they were, following her instinct. They were stood at the edge of the Great Crater, which was filling up with water. The sheer volume of the rain that had fallen over these few days was quite unimaginable. The trail of Tikal's intuition had led them there.  
  
She closed her eyes. "The Emerald's under the water," she said.  
  
"Great..." muttered Knuckles. "I haven't brought my oxygen tank with me, and just when I need it..."  
  
"Don't worry. I can do something about it. If I prey to the water spirit..."  
  
And she did. In a few minutes, the water filled crater was bubbling as though on the brink of boiling.  
  
"The water spirit of Mobius has put thousands of oxygen bubbles in this lake. Just breathe them in if you need air. Think you can do it?"  
  
"Of course," said Knuckles, feeling a little more confident. At that moment, he noticed a shadow on the ground... He looked up to see Wechnia's form in the air. He had come for them and the Emerald!  
  
"Well, it looks like I'm not the only one here..." droned Wechnia. "I hope you're not thinking about taking me on again..."  
  
"Tikal!" shouted Knuckles. "What're we gonna do?"  
  
Tikal considered this for a moment, and then answered. "You go for the Emerald! I'll hold him off!"  
  
As she raised her staff and fired a violet beam of light at Wechnia, Knuckles dove into the icy water. Even below the surface, he could hear the rain hammering away on the lagoon. Deeper in the water was a purple glow; the Emerald!  
  
Back on the edge of the Great Crater, Tikal was doing her best to hold off the virus. Wechnia just paced towards her, the blasts she was launching at him causing very little damage. The evil entity fixed her with a cruel stare as he advanced. She turned to run, but amazingly, he appeared right in front of her.  
  
"It is too late for you, pathetic creature..."  
  
Knuckles had almost reached the Emerald, having just gulped in a mouthful of air. The jewel was glittering in the crystal clear pool. The echidna heard a splash, and looked around to see Wechnia, his arm around Tikal's throat, diving into the lake and swimming rapidly to the same level as him.  
  
"It is hopeless to resist, echidna..." said Wechnia, harsh and clear, even underwater.  
  
The water was changing colour, turning murky and cloudy. The air bubbles were becoming less frequent. Wechnia had a very deadly effect.  
  
"Surrender the Emerald, or the girl dies..."  
  
Knuckles opened his mouth to speak, allowing bubbles to slip past his lips, and he remembered he was underwater. He swam to his left, allowing Wechnia to pass.  
  
"Good... This makes things easier... Thank you, Knuckles... I now have two Emeralds..."  
  
The virus creature snapped up the purple stone, which was now giving off bright phosphorescence in the foggy lake. He released Tikal, and Knuckles swam over to her. Wechnia resurfaced like a rocket to the heavens, in possession of another of the Emeralds, something which was not desired at all by the Freedom Fighters.  
  
Knuckles and Tikal also returned to the surface of the crater, gasping desperately for air.  
  
"Is it me, or is this storm getting worse?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"I think you're right..."  
  
The rain was heavier than before, rebounding off the surface of the water and the ground like shrapnel. Lightning sliced across the sky constantly and thunder roared overhead like a pack of wild beasts. The scene was of chaos and doom, no bright side visible over the ever distant horizon.  
  
Climbing out of the hollow, they noticed the fields were turning to wastelands, the grass turning grey and lifeless... a symbol of death itself. The ruins of Old Megopolis were crumbling away even more, into a powder.  
  
"Come on Tikal, you'd better get us home..." said Knuckles sadly.  
  
She ran over to her staff which she had dropped and reclaimed it. She started to utter the chant that would return them to South Island, preparing to report their failure when they heard a shout.  
  
"WAIT!"  
  
A familiar figure was running towards them. It was another echidna, his fur white with age. Half of his face and his spines were obscured by metal. His right arm was a robotic one that functioned as a blaster. His cyborg features were added as a result of his accident when he fell from the Floating Island after a battle with Knuckles. Around his neck was a golden pendant. His shoes were purple with gold buckles. The old echidna's face was etched with lines. His name was Dr. Zachary, the rogue echidna.  
  
"Zachary!" said Knuckles. He had wondered what had happened to the old guy after the events with the Syndicate...  
  
"I saw it all..." wheezed Zachary. "I've been trailing you... along with... Rouge... We saw that creature attack you and we dropped back..."  
  
"Why were you following us?" growled Knuckles. "Speak!"  
  
"Rouge found... a Chaos Emerald... and she wanted more... and we figured you'd be looking for them... if they weren't on the Floating Island... We expected you to lead us to them..." Zachary broke off, coughing.  
  
"You have one of the Emeralds?" said Knuckles.  
  
"Yes." Rouge had come to join them. She was a white furred bat with powerful black wings. She had turquoise eyes and pink eye shadow. She wore a leather outfit with a heart shape around the chest. She had long white gloves and white leather boots tipped with pink hearts around the toecap. She looked docile, but she was a master thief, more subtle than criminals such as Nack. She could be cruel and manipulative at many occasions, but she wasn't as bad as some would make out.  
  
"You must return that Emerald to me!" demanded Knuckles. "It's the only way we can stop Wechnia!"  
  
"Wechnia? So that's what was attacking you," said Rouge.  
  
"Yes! He's after all of the Chaos Emeralds. He already has two! Give us that Emerald you have!"  
  
"I will, for the right price," she said with a wry smile.  
  
"Rouge, this isn't some kind of game!" Knuckles yelled. "The Mobius is gonna die if we don't stop Wechnia! You must have noticed the effect it has had on the Mobius?"  
  
"This has been caused by that weird echidna guy?" said a shocked Rouge.  
  
Knuckles was growing frustrated. "YES!" he bellowed. "If we don't get all those Emeralds, that's it. End of our world."  
  
"Alright, you can have it, but when you've saved the world, I want repaying," she said with a wink. "We'll call it ten thousand Mobian credits."  
  
"You have GOT to be kidding..."  
  
Zachary joined the conversation. "Rouge, give him the Emerald. Mobius' existence is more important than riches." Rouge gave him an angry glare. "We may be enemies, Knuckles. However, I do not want the world to be destroyed. I want power, not death. Therefore, I suggest a truce for the time being. Wechnia is the common enemy."  
  
"He's hardly a common villain..." muttered Knuckles, "but you're right. We have to unite, or die."  
  
And with that, Knuckles and Zachary shook hands. Tikal smiled, but Rouge didn't look happy at all. She got out her Emerald and gave it to her old treasure hunting rival, who clasped it tightly in his spiked fist.  
  
"Tikal," said Knuckles. "Take us to Emerald Hill. We're done here." 


	6. Chapter 6: Cops and Robbers

Chapter 6: Cops and Robbers  
  
"What?" said Sonic angrily when Knuckles told him why Rouge and Zachary were with them.  
  
"Sonic, the world might be destroyed here!" stated Knuckles in frustration again. "Some things are more important than sticking to an evil routine! Zach has power, and Rouge is the best treasure hunter around, something we could find useful in the battle against Wechnia. They already had an Emerald, and we can utilise it if they're helping us."  
  
"So, what exactly happened where you were?" asked Sonic, a scowl etched onto his face. It was bad enough that Shadow was already there... even if it wasn't the same evil Shadow.  
  
"We'd tracked down the purple Emerald, and I'd gone to collect it when Wechnia showed up..." Knuckles recounted the full story of how Wechnia had tried to kill Tikal, taken the Emerald, telling them that he'd already obtained one previously, how they, Zachary and Rouge had formed an alliance after Wech's departure, and how they got one Emerald in the end.  
  
"So, four to two," said Sonic. "We have the upper hand, but Wechnia has a good chance of getting the Master Emerald. He's fast, even by my standards."  
  
"I don't think so," said Knuckles. "Tikal's locating the Master Emerald now. She's got the Control Emerald scanning for it. If you didn't know, the Emeralds all act like magnets. They can find each other."  
  
"Heh, pretty cool," Sonic admitted. "We might stand a chance after all. Where is she?"  
  
"Downstairs. Don't disturb her. She won't let us down."  
  
"She'd better not. The fate of Mobius depends on it."  
  
"Sonic! Couldn't you be more encouraging?"  
  
"What? She can't hear us from down there."  
  
"You'd be surprised..."  
  
~* * * *~  
  
On the remote Carnival Island, a part of the continent of Angelas, a bright light appeared above the Botanic Base Zone. Five individuals emerged from a warp in space; the Omni Viewer. The five who had just arrived on Mobius were the Chaotix Crew, the guardians of the Special Zone, an odd parallel dimension that could be reached via Star Posts, giant gold rings that popped up from time to time, or the gateways created back in the days of the echidna race.  
  
The leader of Chaotix was Vector, a scaly green crocodile with a yellow front and red ridges on his broad back. He had sharp teeth lining his large mouth. He was a computer wizard and highly intelligent, but loved nothing more than to chill to music. Therefore, Vector never went anywhere without his headphones and walkman.  
  
Mighty the Armadillo was a sturdy figure with red armour plating covering his head and back. His body was black, apart from his belly, muzzle and arms, which were flesh coloured. His sneakers looked very much like Sonic's, only the white stripe didn't reach the soles. Within this guy's arms was the strength of the mountains, therefore he acted as the muscle in most cases, fighting the good fight.  
  
Espio the Chameleon had the ability to blend in with any background, rendering him invisible to enemy sights, therefore he was primarily involved in stealth operations. His normal colour was purple. Fixed upon his head was a yellow horn, often used as a weapon when he charged down foes. His nature was very self-centred and often led him into trouble. He didn't care much for others, but had a discipline that kept him cool in the heat of battle, though it is often his hot-headedness that gets him into those scrapes. He often competed with Mighty to see who could take out the most enemies.  
  
Charmy was a tiny little bee who always wore a flying helmet. He had clear wings that were often fluttering so fast you could barely see them. His sting was a threatening implement, but he barely used it. This kid tended to wind up the others, especially Espio, who Charmy constantly reminded about manners, but he was good at following clues and hunches.  
  
The final member was a yellow flying squirrel called Ray. Attached to his underarms were large flaps that allowed him to catch the air and glide. Ray's tail was large and bushy, and he used it in flight to help direct his body. He was the diplomat of Chaotix, using his reasoning and techniques with words to get them what they need. Failing that, he'd use his swiftness to snatch it instead. He walked with silent footsteps.  
  
In a way, the Omni Viewer was part of the crew as well, having always aided them in transportation. Omni was a self aware system who was able travel through time or provide instantaneous transport to anywhere in the galaxy. His workspace occupied a new frame designed by Vector. He knew much about the history of Mobius, almost everything, but didn't really look at the future because it always seemed to be changing. He was more concerned about the present, though didn't always check things right away, which proved apparent now...  
  
"What's up with Omni?" asked Espio.  
  
Omni's frame was taken up by a blank white screen instead of the usual pale face. It hadn't known about the effect Wechnia had on computerised systems, even intelligent, self-reliant ones.  
  
"He's still there," said Vector, "but his software's crashed... I can't reboot!"  
  
"Zippety zip!" squeaked Charmy, causing Espio to grimace. "What's up with this place?"  
  
"It looks like it's dying..." said Ray quietly.  
  
"Whoa! I think you're right..." spluttered Vector. The last time Chaotix had been on Mobius, it was a green place. Now though...  
  
"Maybe what's happening here has had some effect on Omni?" suggested Mighty.  
  
"You could be right... Darn, this makes things much more difficult," said Vector. "If Omni's crashed, we can't get off this island. I think we're on Carnival Island, but I don't know why. We need to get to the Metropolis Zone. Just... let me try something."  
  
Vector strode over to the blank screen that was Omni Viewer. He put his hand into it to find that the warp through space was still open.  
  
"Hey guys! I just think his screen's been disrupted. He still works... I hope. Omni, take us to South Island, Emerald Hill. I think we should speak with Sonic first..."  
  
Vector's theory was correct. They came out of the Omni Viewer directly in front of Sonic's headquarters. The Zone around them was green still, but the weather set a grim scene. Vector knocked at the door and entered, followed by the rest of his crew. They saw a girl in the room ahead. She was holding a grey Chaos Emerald in her right hand and she had her eyes closed.  
  
"Is that her, boss?" whispered Mighty to Vector.  
  
"No," said Vector. "She looks like an echidna. We're looking for a bat. Come on, upstairs!"  
  
They followed the command. Sonic was in the central room, still talking to Knuckles. Dr. Zachary, still in the room, looked around and saw the new arrivals.  
  
"Sonic," said the old echidna.  
  
Sonic noticed his old fighting buddies, as did Knuckles. "Heh," Sonic laughed. "Getting a bit crowded in here..."  
  
"Sonic, good to see ya!" roared Vector in his booming voice. "What's up with Mobius? Everything's..."  
  
"Some virus thing called Wechnia... I'll explain some other time. What do you want?"  
  
Espio came forwards. "We're trailing a bat known as Rouge. Our sources tell us that she's here."  
  
"Sources?"  
  
"That would be Omni Viewer," explained Espio, indicating the blank screen. "Anyway, we need to... er... speak with her. We understand she can lead us to Nack the Weasel. The New Tek police want him."  
  
"Don't the police want you?"  
  
"They did, but we're working for them now. We cleared up that... misunderstanding, and then they hired us as detectives."  
  
"I won't ask what you did... I don't think I wanna know," muttered Sonic, knowing only too well about the crazy world of Planet Meridian and New Tek City.  
  
Espio frowned, but Mighty grinned. The chameleon dealt his rival a sniping glance and started to advance towards him. Vector, sensing trouble raised his voice.  
  
"So, any ideas about Rouge, Sonic?"  
  
Sonic considered this for a second. After all, Rouge was somewhere in the base, probably just in the next room. He remembered Knuckles' advice about her skills as a treasure hunter, and thought about how useful it may be in the battle that lay ahead.  
  
"Nah, ain't seen her. Bye!" he blurted, desperate for Chaotix to leave.  
  
"Hmmm, well, thanks for the trouble," and with that, the team turned to leave. They whirled around again at the sound of a door opening. Rouge and Shadow had just emerged from the rear room where Porker, Amy, Tekno and Kintobor still were, attempting to rebuild the entire Kintobor system. Ashura was currently absent, but nobody knew where.  
  
"That's her!" exclaimed Ray. "I'd recognise her anywhere!"  
  
Rouge had a puzzled expression carved into her face. "Who's looking, boys?"  
  
Vector drew himself to full height. "We're the Chaotix Crew, detectives from the Special Zone. I think you and me need to have a little talk," he said, smiling with glee having found his prey.  
  
"Detectives from the Special Zone?" Rouge repeated, still gazing blankly around the room, as though desperate for an escape route to just materialise in the walls.  
  
"That's right," said Mighty. "You've been to New Tek City enough times. Surely you know why we're here?"  
  
"Not really," mumbled the bat, looking nervous.  
  
The Chaotix just laughed, except for Ray and Charmy.  
  
"Who's the squirrel guy?" Sonic butted in. "Unless I'm just stupid, he wasn't with the Crew before."  
  
"New recruit," said Espio impatiently. "Ray. He's great at his job. He's one of Mighty's old friends. Let us do our job, Sonic."  
  
That tiny distraction had done it. Rouge made a bolt for the stairs, but was grabbed by Vector who flung her to the floor. This look on her face told the story of defeat.  
  
"Hey guys," said Shadow who had so far remained silent. "I don't think that's how you treat a lady." The dark hedgehog stepped forwards, scowling at the five members of Chaotix.  
  
"And who the heck're you?" inquired Espio, feigning a tone of respect.  
  
"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, if you must know," said Shadow sounding offhand. "You guys better leave her alone, or you'll regret it," he said as Rouge rose, brushing the dust from her clothes.  
  
Espio turned to get support from his comrades. Due to fear imposed by Shadow's mean glare, they hesitated, but then Mighty stepped forwards.  
  
"Y'know guys," interjected Knuckles, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to fight in here."  
  
"Yeah," said Sonic catching the thread instantly. "We're trying to fix this place up right now."  
  
Their words remained unheeded.  
  
Shadow stood proud at the opposite end of the room, the sense of confidence radiating from him like a nuclear reactor of sorts. Espio and Mighty nodded at each other and began the charge. Espio lowered his head, pointing the horn directly at Shadow, who just stood as though waiting for the arrival of a bus. Mighty raised his fists as he ran, preparing to deliver an immense blow. A fraction of a second before contact, Shadow bounded into the air and flipped over the two members of Chaotix trying to ambush him. Espio crashed into one of the consoles, impaling his horn upon it, and Mighty made impact with another, showering sparks across the room. Vector joined the fray, licking his lips. He took a huge crunch at the black hedgehog, who promptly dodged it, only to be grabbed by Ray from behind.  
  
"Guys, I got him!" shouted out Ray.  
  
Espio released himself and charged at Shadow, now captive to the squirrel. The rampage was this time successful, ramming into Shadow with such force that Ray lost his grip on him. Shadow cried out in pain and fell back, but quickly scrambled to his feet, ready to go another round. He curled up, charged his spin attack, and released, slamming into each of the Chaotix except for Charmy who was watching, confused (he had a very short attention span). Everyone else in the room was also observing; Zachary with mild amusement on his face, Rouge with a frown, and Knuckles and Sonic with sheer horror on their faces.  
  
Sonic stood up and bellowed across the smoking room, "STOP!" The combatants turned to him, looking slightly guilty for trashing the base. Sonic continued, "You only want to find Nack, right?" he asked Vector.  
  
"Uh... yeah."  
  
"Well, why the heck are you fighting? I'm sure Rouge would give you the information you need. She's helping us out at the moment because we need to find the Chaos Emeralds."  
  
"Oh," said Rouge softly. "That's why you want to talk to me. You want me to lead you to the weasel."  
  
"That's right," grumbled Espio. "So, you gonna tell us where to go?"  
  
"I guess I could, but that depends on my profit."  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
"Come on now, boys. You can't seriously expect that I'd lead you to the weasel for free now?"  
  
Ray spoke, being the typical ambassador. "We'll give you five thousand Mobian credits. Is that enough?"  
  
"I think that's a good price for a bit of information. Alright, Nack's in the Metropolis Zone, right in the Central Square. He's set up his base of operations in an old abandoned warehouse."  
  
"Well, that was easy enough," said Vector. "Mighty, Espio, I'd like you both to go and collect Nack and bring him back to the Special Zone with you. I don't think you need the rest of us."  
  
"Roger," said the chameleon and the armadillo. Going on a mission with each other was a great excuse for a bit of competition.  
  
"Maybe I should come with you?" suggested Rouge. "I know my way around his base, something which might be useful for you both."  
  
Espio and Mighty looked at Vector for his reply.  
  
"Yeah, I think you should," the crocodile agreed. "I'll see you all no later than tomorrow. Omni, if you're still listening, take them to Metropolis and the rest of us home."  
  
Omni viewer tilted his frame to indicate his comprehension of the situation, and allowed the Chaotix to leap inside the screen. Rouge was about to do the same, when she was stopped by Sonic.  
  
"We need you," he said.  
  
"Don't worry," said Rouge, a sparkle in her turquoise eyes. "I'll be back as soon as possible." She followed her current employers into the Omni Viewer, who disappeared with a bright flash.  
  
"Great," muttered Sonic to Shadow. "I've got a trashed base and one team member down."  
  
Amy and Kintobor rushed into the chamber to see what had just taken place. They gazed at the wreckage, words escaping them.  
  
"We had visitors," said Knuckles.  
  
"I... see..." spluttered Kintobor.  
  
There was another moment where they stood in silence, listening to the drumming of the rain. Sonic turned to stare out of the window, the anger bubbling up inside him.  
  
"Don't worry about Rouge," Zachary told Sonic. "She can look after herself."  
  
"Yeah, I bet she can," snapped Sonic. "Obviously she doesn't care about Mobius."  
  
"If it gets Chaotix off our backs..."  
  
"Just leave me alone."  
  
Sonic sped out of the building, greeted by the torrents of water. The Emerald Valley, which he could make out vaguely in the distance, was full of water. Wechnia's storm was creating total havoc in the world around. Soon, there might not be any part of Emerald Hill left...  
  
Mud sprayed skywards as Sonic belted across the sodden terrain. He wondered where Wechnia was at the moment, and whether he had managed to locate the Master Emerald... whether he was heading for it at that second...  
  
"That creature has brought the end... I know it this time..." he said to himself faintly. He had thought the same about Chaos, yet succeeded that time, but even his luck would have to run out some day. This was that day. Even Chaos hadn't managed to create so much destruction...  
  
He noticed something odd happening... he stopped running to look at the meadows of Emerald Hill. The grass was turning grey... just like it had at Jade Hill! Wechnia was clearly in the Zone, and close to his own location, he realised.  
  
"Show yourself!" he bellowed.  
  
Almost as soon as the words had escaped his mouth, Wech showed up, with the usual cheerless smile.  
  
"You know me so well..."  
  
"Shut it! What're you doing in my homeland?"  
  
"Don't you realise anything...?" droned Wechnia. "I am spreading my effect of death over the whole of Mobius... I was bound to come here sooner or later..."  
  
"You're coming no further into this place!" Sonic used his spin attack against the virus, but was swatted away like a fly.  
  
"Brave words... I pity your foolishness..."  
  
Sonic was sprawled in the sludgy mud that was once the lush grass of his home. His fury was about to explode...  
  
"As much as I would love to kill you, it would be straying from my task... I sense the Chaos Emeralds... They are in the Zone." Wechnia raised his snout as though trying to sniff them. "Yes..."  
  
He rocketed away, in the direction of Sonic's base.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Sonic was speeding along, trying to keep up with the airborne echidna. It was hopeless though... Wechnia was far too swift, and the slippery terrain did not help at all. The ground below Wechnia's path was turning to grey dust as always, spoiling even further the once beautiful landscape. With a lifeless laugh, Wechnia picked up the pace, leaving Sonic trailing.  
  
In about a minute, Wechnia was upon the Emerald Hill base, sensing the Chaos Energy emanating from the vicinity. This was it; he was about to claim four more Emeralds...  
  
He entered by breaking the glass roof. The fragments scattered everywhere. He recognised the scientist from his birthplace, who happened to be cowering on the floor, like most of the others in the room. Only Knuckles, Zachary and Shadow remained standing while Kintobor, Amy, Tekno, Porker and Tails had hit the deck. Tikal was still downstairs.  
  
"I see you managed to escape the island..." he said to Kintobor, who raised his head. The doctor remained unspoken.  
  
Shadow came up to Wechnia.  
  
"Get out," said the black hedgehog.  
  
"I'd think carefully before ordering me about..."  
  
Wechnia's punch sent Shadow soaring into the wall, and slump over into a heap on the glass-caked floor.  
  
"I want the Chaos Emeralds..." commanded Wechnia.  
  
"I'd think carefully before ordering us about."  
  
Wechnia turned to see Ashura framed in the doorway. The green hedgehog had returned at last. He had brought Tikal upstairs with him. "You again..." sighed Wechnia.  
  
"Yeah, me again," said Ashura, glaring in fury at the creature.  
  
"I defeated you before, and I can do it again..."  
  
"You won't get the chance. I know how powerful you are, and I'm not stupid enough to fight you." He grabbed the grey Control Emerald from Tikal and raced around the room, picking up each of the other three gems that they had salvaged. He pulled everyone together and before Wechnia could react, he screamed, "CHAOS CONTROL!"  
  
In a bright burst of alternating hues, the entire group vanished, just as Sonic came into the room.  
  
"They have eluded me..." said Wechnia, ignoring the blue hedgehog. "I will still find them..."  
  
"What happened?" said Sonic.  
  
"The green one used the Chaos Control..."  
  
"Well, as long as you didn't get your hands on our Emeralds, I guess things are all okay," Sonic said. The hedgehog raced outside again, leaving Wechnia to wallow in his failure.  
  
"Ashura was lucky this time," Sonic said to himself. "I don't know how long we can rely on luck though... that was one close call. Now, all I need to do is find where Ashura took everybody to..." 


	7. Chapter 7: Return to Metropolis

Chapter 7: Back to Metropolis  
  
In the very heart of the Metropolis Zone, an odd trio of individuals were advancing upon their destination. Rouge had led Espio and Mighty to Nack the Weasel's base, and they were preparing for their strike. At last, they would be able to bring their old adversary to justice.  
  
It was hours after Wechnia's attack at Emerald Hill. The three partners had cooked up their plan, unknowing of what had happened.  
  
"This place radiates evil..." said Espio quietly.  
  
"Get used to it," Rouge said casually, greatly familiar with the place. After all, she had aided the weasel in many heists over a recent period of time. Also, her record included assisting the Syndicate, an evil group of Dr. Robotnik, Dr. Zachary, Shadow and a mysterious echidna called Vichama, whose history was veiled by more secrecy than the others of his kin, as was his current location. It wasn't known if he was even alive.  
  
And there it was, looming in front of them, almost leering... it was strange how a building could radiate such a feeling of menace. Mighty and Espio paused a second and looked at each other, waiting for their team-mate to suggest that they retreated and deserted their assignment. Rouge continued walking for a moment before she realised that the two Chaotix members had stopped. She turned to them.  
  
"Come on, boys. You're not scared are you?" she mocked in an infant's voice.  
  
"Scared? Never!"  
  
Both the chameleon and the armadillo, with heavy resolve, pressed on to the front entrance of the warehouse, which was locked. Had they already hit a dead end? Mighty raised his fist and told his partners to stand back. This was something he was getting good at saying, having said it many times.  
  
"Idiots," stated Rouge bluntly, pushing Mighty away. "Either resigning yourselves to defeat at the first sign of a problem or taking the solution that would draw the security to us before you can say 'gem'. There's another entrance which won't draw any attention."  
  
"Oh yeah?" said Mighty, annoyed that his moment of glory had been snatched away.  
  
"Yeah. The ventilation system," she said, pointing up to a metal frame on the wall. "If I just remove that grille, we can slip inside unnoticed."  
  
"Very good, bat-girl," said Espio dubiously. "So, how're we supposed to get up there? It's too high up for us with no footholes. Well, I can probably make it, being a chameleon and all, but ol' Mighty here don't have a chance."  
  
"Watch yer mouth," said Mighty, yet again bringing his balled fist into the air.  
  
"Shut up, both of you. Geez... are you always like this?"  
  
"No," they both lied.  
  
"Anyway, it's not a problem. Don't forget that I can fly. I'll carry you both up."  
  
In about a minute, the three of them were crawling doggedly through the ducts. It was like a maze, but Rouge knew the system like the back of her hand and was the perfect guide. She soon tracked down the exit from the system, but the frame was securely fastened down. Rouge began to pick at the bolts, but some were almost jammed in and refused to budge.  
  
Growing impatient, Mighty scrambled forwards. In a fraction of a second, there was a loud crash, followed by a reverberating clang against a steel floor, then some tiny pings that were the bolts.  
  
Espio slapped a hand against his forehead and sighed in disbelief. Rouge scorched Mighty with her infuriated glower.  
  
"I almost had it open then!" she hissed. "If you could just have sat down for a few seconds..."  
  
As the grille slammed upon the floor, a shout was heard and a platoon of security guards marched into the room. Mighty's abrasive actions had put the mission in serious danger... but they couldn't give up. The rest of Chaotix was counting on them.  
  
"We can't turn back now," said Espio. "Mighty, you know the signal." He at once seemed to melt into the metallic grey of the surroundings. Both Rouge and Mighty felt a rustling of air brush past them, and at once they knew what Espio had done.  
  
Down on the ground floor, armed guards were inspecting every corner of the cluttered stockroom, piled with boxes containing the rewards of Nack's robberies, and also tall steel shelves lined with further treasures and containers.. Also around the room stood huge mech units with thick armour and heavy cannons functioning as limbs. Each mech housed an irritated pilot.  
  
Suddenly one of the mechs toppled over, the pilot winded. The guards all veered around to see what had happened, but there was nobody there... The robotic vehicle was ripped apart by this unseen force, and the rider was thrown across the room. The others opened fire at the invisible attacker. Had their shots made contact?  
  
More guards were sent whirling over the distance of the room. The battle units also sent powerful blasts in random directions, hoping to hit whatever was assaulting them. As the lasers ricocheted from wall to wall, a form began to materialise in the air. That was Mighty's signal. Once Espio had fully reappeared, the armadillo fell down from his hiding place in the ventilation system, landing smoothly on his feet.  
  
The mechs and sentries started to circle around them, raising their cannons. Espio nodded, then he and Mighty rushed forwards. Espio began to spin rapidly before colliding with multiple foes, and Mighty ploughed his incredible punches into the thick hulls of the battle units, shattering them into pieces.  
  
Reinforcements paraded into the vicinity. Wave upon wave of guards swarmed around the two brave fighters, but that didn't deter them, and they continued their onslaught, dismembering the ranks. Espio used his ninja skills to evade every weapon his adversaries threw at him, manoeuvring with amazing dexterity. On the other hand, Mighty employed his speed and strength to cause huge damage to the lines of guards and mechs.  
  
Finally, after a long, harsh fight, the squad of guards was completely obliterated. Most of the security forces lay unconscious on the ground, but others had simply fled. Boxes had been strewn around the room, spilling their precious contents. Rouge hovered down to join the victors and they progressed to the large door at the opposite end. They found themselves in a long corridor littered with cameras.  
  
"Uh oh..." breathed Mighty.  
  
"Don't fret," said Rouge. "They don't work. It's what Wechnia did to them."  
  
"Wechnia..." Espio murmured. "That's the guy that Sonic mentioned earlier. Who is he?"  
  
"I think 'it' would be a better definition," Rouge said. "It's some sort of virus that neutralises computerised programs and kills plant life around it. It has some kind of power to turn people into some sort of 'negative' form."  
  
"So, that's how it affected Omni Viewer. Omni still functioned though, so it must only disable the outputs of systems."  
  
"Yeah, that must be right." Rouge went on to explain the origins of Wechnia and how it had caused Dr. Robotnik to revert back into Dr. Kintobor. Both Espio and Mighty were astounded, but very pleased, to hear about this.  
  
So, no longer worried about the cameras, the group continued along the passage until they reached another door. It was sealed with a padlock, whereas it used to be computerised.  
  
"No need to waste time here. Mighty," Rouge invited the armadillo to break down the entry, and he accepted gladly, causing it to come thundering down. Nack stood in the next room, counting a large amount of coins. He had already grabbed his pistol and was pointing it in their direction, a furious snarl on his pointed face.  
  
"I told you to tell nobody I was here," Nack growled to Rouge, who shrugged.  
  
"I'm not working with you anymore. I can do what I like," she retorted.  
  
Nack sneered and fired a bullet in her direction. Espio pulled her to the deck, forcing the projectile to ram into the wall. Mighty thumped the floor, causing a tremor that made Nack lose balance. The weasel dropped his weapon, and Espio ran over to kick it out of reach.  
  
"Give it up," Espio demanded. He looked at what was now a cowering wretch in the corner. He remembered the days where he and that rebel had fought side by side for Chaotix, before Nack sold them to Metallix (the Metal Sonic program). Now he felt sick at the thought of being allies with this backstabber.  
  
"Get up," Mighty ordered. Nack slowly clambered to his feet, only to carry out his next trick. He threw three small capsules he had been concealing in his glove, and out of them erupted three long ropes coated in some sort of blue light. These magnetic bindings wrapped themselves tightly around Mighty, Espio and Rouge until their whole bodies were tied up, fastened themselves and then pulled the three of them to the metal floor.  
  
"Well, you weren't expecting that, eh? I bet you regret selling me these magnetic ropes now, Rouge," Nack scoffed.  
  
He gathered a few of his belongings into a backpack and slung it over his back, still laughing to himself. Mighty desperately struggled with his bonds, but even he was incapable of breaking them. Nack tipped his hat and hat and turned to leave when a sudden blue blur slammed into him at full force. Sonic had joined the fight.  
  
"You again!" spluttered the weasel.  
  
"Me," said Sonic smiling. "I knew this was one party I'd have to join in with."  
  
Sonic whizzed around the room, and in his hands were the three long ropes. He spiralled around Nack, and in moments, the weasel was fastened up securely. Espio, Mighty and Rouge got up, looking a little shaken.  
  
"How did you find us here?" asked Espio.  
  
"I knew you were coming here, remember?" replied Sonic.  
  
"Oh. Well, we'd better call Omni."  
  
Espio and Mighty tapped a switch on their wrists.  
  
"What're those?" enquired Sonic.  
  
"They send a transmission to Omni that lets him know where we are," explained Espio. "Ray thought of them, and Vector made them."  
  
"Pretty neat, but they won't work at the moment. Wechnia's shut down all those sorts of things."  
  
"Oh yeah..."  
  
"So how do we get back now?" Mighty groaned.  
  
"Good question," said Espio.  
  
"I'll tell you what," said Sonic. "Take Nack to the Metropolis police force, and let them hold him for now. You can come with me if you like. I'm trying to find the rest of my team." Sonic told them all about what had happened back at the base.  
  
"I guess we can help out for now," Espio agreed. "It might help if we knew where we were going though..."  
  
"Yup," said Sonic. "It just so happens I have a friend in this city who might be able to help me track them down. She's good at that sort of thing. Come on, let's get on with it."  
  
Having deposited Nack at the police station, Sonic, Rouge, Mighty and Espio made way to Ebony the Cat's café in the city. The night was coming, but nobody would have realised the change because of the rain that continued to thrash the streets. More areas around South Island were beginning to flood, but Metropolis was situated on raised ground so it had not yet succumbed to such a fate.  
  
Once they had reached the entrance, Sonic led the way inside. There were many citizens inside, talking amongst themselves. The general tone was one of panic. Ebony and her staff were serving behind the counter. Ebony was a tall cat with black fur. She wore a purple dress with a train to her ankles. When she saw Sonic, she smiled.  
  
"I thought you'd come and find me soon," she said. "Come through."  
  
Ebony led the four of them into the back room, which was cluttered with crystal balls, packs of tarot cards, spell books, and other curious objects that Rouge was eying up. Espio stared around, and Mighty just looked forwards blankly, bored. She was a skilled fortune-teller and conjuror of sorts, perhaps better at magic than foresight. She pointed to a collection of soft cushions on the floor and bade them to sit.  
  
"So, I guess you're here because you desperately need help," she said to Sonic.  
  
"Yeah," Sonic began. "Wechnia's driven away my friends and I don't know where they've gone. Uh... you know what Wechnia is, right?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"Okay, good. Anyway, Ashura, a new guy in the team, used Chaos Control to escape and I don't know where he warped to. I thought you could help track them down."  
  
"I suppose I can try," Ebony pondered for a moment, "but that's not really my specialty. Maybe my friend Celeste could help?"  
  
"Who's that?" asked Sonic.  
  
"She's an old associate. She's great at predicting the future and locating others. Come on, I'll take you to her! She lives around Green Lake, so it'll be a bit of a trek to get there from here."  
  
"I really don't have time," muttered Sonic. "Green Lake you say? We'll be there in about ten minutes!"  
  
He grabbed Ebony and Rouge by their hands and whizzed out of the café at supersonic speed. Espio wrapped his hand around Mighty's wrist and raced after Sonic, being just as fast, or simply a little slower. As Sonic said, they reached the lake in a short time, having conquered a vicious, flooding terrain. The lake itself was higher than Sonic remembered. Ebony pointed to the top of a cliff upon which was a tiny little cabin, silhouetted against the lightning in the background.  
  
"That's where she lives," she said. Sonic made his way up the precipice. When they came to rest in front of the door, Sonic released Ebony and Rouge, much to their relief. Espio caught up in moments, soaked through. After waiting a few seconds, the entrance creaked open and stood in the doorway was another tall cat, but with white fur. She wore a black tank top, long black gloves, a short skirt, and knee-high boots. She had a dreamy look in her yellow eyes and didn't even look at the guests.  
  
"Oh... Ebony, come in," said Celeste. "I thought you were coming, I was just preparing some food."  
  
Sonic spoke first. "We've not got the time for that. We need to know where my friends are."  
  
"If it pleases you to know, they're up in the great Kingdom of Mercia, the region of Erinburgh to be precise," she said vaguely.  
  
"Where's that?" Sonic had often prided himself on his knowledge of Mobius and its routes, but he had never heard of this place.  
  
"It's a continent to the far north of Mobius, connected to the North Polar Icecaps," Celeste told him, still not looking at him. "They call it Mercia..."  
  
"How the heck do we..."  
  
Celeste cut him off. "Use my boat. It's set up below, at the edge of the lake. Take the delta south to the Urlean Sea, then turn. It's easy enough. Go."  
  
She drifted away, closing the door softly.  
  
"Well, that was quick..."  
  
They hurried down to the vessel that lay on the banking. It was a little rusty on the underside where the paint was chipping, but it had a small roof that would keep them shielded from the weather for the time being. They each boarded in turn, brushing the rain from their bodies once in the dry confines.  
  
"So, who knows how to navigate?" asked Sonic.  
  
"I'm pretty good," said Rouge. "I can pilot a little old piece of junk like this in my sleep."  
  
"Alright then, no time to waste, let's go!"  
  
Rouge kick-started the engine and steered it skilfully out of the flooding valley, kicking up a vast quantity of foam. The spray licked the sides of the boat, thrown up by the acceleration of the craft. It was quite speedy.  
  
Espio and Mighty huddled in a corner and talked amongst themselves, and Sonic sat at the small table with Ebony. The inside of the boat was immaculately clean, despite the unattractive exterior.  
  
"So," Sonic asked the cat, "what've you been doing?"  
  
"Business as usual I'm afraid. Nothing remotely fun. I guess I'm still missing Super Sonic."  
  
Sonic recalled the time when he and Super Sonic, a demonic form of himself, had been two separate entities, having been split up from each other. Sonic became Super when exposed to great stress or high energy concentration. A while after they were divided, Super Sonic lost his power and his memory of evil. When Chaos attacked, Super Sonic stopped it, but the exposure to negative Chaos Energy forced him to become evil again. As a last resort, Ebony had combined them back into one, they way it was in the beginning.  
  
"Mmm, yeah," said Sonic. He had been furious with Ebony when he learned that she had been hiding Super Sonic, even though he had been docile at the time (forgetting a few minor relapses of no real significance).  
  
"This storm's been bad for business. People don't want to leave their homes," Ebony said. "It's as if the world is ending."  
  
"Maybe it is..."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Wechnia causes death to all plant life around it. The ecosystem is starting to collapse wherever he goes."  
  
"What exactly is it?"  
  
"I'd love to know. All I've found out is that it's a sort of virus that Robotnik made. At least Robotnik's gone..."  
  
"What?" exclaimed Ebony.  
  
Sonic explained all about Wechnia and what he could do. Ebony was astounded to hear that Robotnik had been reverted back into Kintobor.  
  
They were now out sea. The waves were violent, leaping up like vicious sea creatures snapping for their prey. They rocked the little boat, but they didn't stray far from their course. Suddenly, having just spoken about Wechnia, Sonic remembered something.  
  
"Rouge!" he called to the bat. "Don't go straight to Mercia! Head for the Robotnik Isles!"  
  
"Okay," she said.  
  
She veered the boat around, heading north-east to the three islands that belonged to Dr. Robotnik and were now desolate wastes. His most prominent bases remained there. Sonic had recalled his conversation with Ashura about Grimer. He needed to speak with him, urgently. 


End file.
